Method of installing an underground conduit system



E. BURKE Jan. 21, 1930.

METHODl OF INSTALLING AN UNDERGROUND CONDUIT SYSTEM Filed Sept. 12, 19252 Sheets-Sheet Jah. 2l, 1930. E, BURKE 1,744,102

METHOD 0F INSTALLING AN UNDERGROUND CONDUIT SYSTEM Filed Sept. l2, 19252 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentedi Jan.' 21, 1930 'UNITED STATE-s Pa'rENT oFFICE BJJMUND BURKE, or BOBTLAND, MAINE', AssIGNoB. To BBowN comBANY, orBERLIN,

NEW HAMPSHIRE, .A CORPORATION OF MAINE *METHOD F IN `S'.ITA.`|'.:I.ING1'AN UNDERGROUND CONDUIT SYS'iITEH 'Application mea september 12, 1925.serial'nof 55,928.

This inventionrelates to the installation -of an underground or buriedconduit system which consists of a plurality of ,adjacent trunk vor mainconduit lines and has for its primary object to provide a simple,economical, and eflicient method for facilitating theinstallation ofsuch -asystem and for ensuring a durable or permanent system, onceinstalled.

While the method employed in accordance 10 with the 'present invention,which is hereinaftery outlined, is applicable to conduits -or pipesconstructed of metal or any other s uitable material and of any desiredform, it is, particularly adapted to be practiced in con- 5 nection"withthe 'fibrous conduits or tubes Whichare in extensive use, as, forexample, in electrlc Wlrmg systems. l

Such conduits or tubes may be formed by winding a web of cellulose pulpor a sheet of wet paper on a mandreluntil a tube having a wall f thedesired thickness has been formed, then removing the tube from themandrel and thoroughly drying it. When used as a -conduit or closure forelectric wiring or as a pipe,

the tube may be water-proofed and rendered electro-insulating byYimpregnating or saturating it with' pitch or other suitable material.The ends of the conduits thusproduced v may be tapered, threaded-eitherexternally ,30 or internally, or otherwise suitably shaped and formedfor coupling or direct connection with other or similar conduits.

40 grooves or furrovvs for receiving and vsupportt ing the conduits inposition and accurately. y spacing or separating the same bothyerticallyand horizontally, according to thenumber of conduits vto be laid,'whilethey are being buried, are located at suitable'intervals along,

the trench, and the conduits to be buried are suitably connected withthe conduits previously laid. Thev conduit-supports are preferably thentemporarily fastened to the ground by suitable Aremovable fasteners4 orpins, tolv maintain them'and the conduitssupported thereon substantiallystationary and in proper alignment while they are being buried. Re-

lpermanently lodged and encased with a. minimum amount of encasingmaterial. The material employed for encasing the conduits is preferablya suitable concrete mix, and the space left outside the partitions, aswell as the upper portion of the trench above the concrete mixture, isfilled with earth. While the concrete is still'soft or plastic, however,the pins or fastening rods for the supports, and

the partitions for conning the concrete, may be removed, so that afterone or more luigths of tubes or conduits are installed, other 'stages 'of tubes may be connected therewith and sumlarly mstalled.

With these and other features and objects in view, the inventionconsists inthe method of installation of underground conduits' and inthe construction and arrangement of the parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, in conjunction with the accompanyingy drawings,inwrhich y vIFigure 1 .represents a section through a ltrench in which a conduitsystem may be, installed in accordance with the present invention.--Briefly stated,.the novel method of installa- Figure -2' representsasection similar to Figure 1, with the 'conduits'placed on thespacinggsupports .'whichhave been fastened I to` the floor or .bottom ofthe trench. I Figure 3 represents the section after the partltions'havebeen. located and the space outsidelthe partitions filled with earth.

Figure 4 illustrates the section after the tubes have been encased inconcrete or other suitable material and the installation has beencompleted. f

.Figure -51v represents in isometric perspective a sectionof positionedor. connectedconduits immediately prior to the pouring of the concrete.or the encasement thereof, lwith the front 'and a side portion of thetrench broken away-to show the layout within the trench. Flgures 6, 7,and 8, respectively, illustrate either endportion, to allow theinsertion of f in detailed perspective a spacing' tube support, aremovable partition, and a rod for fastening the supports employed inthe present invention.

5 Referring to the drawings, which illustrate in sequence the steps ofinstallation of the conduits, Figure 1 indicates a trench 1 of suitabledimensions, which is initially formed in thugv earth. 'The trench ispreferably of substantially rectangular section, .and has, so far `aspracticable, a substantially level floor or bottom 1, especially atthose positions where the supports 2 for sustaining and spacing theconduits while they are being installed, may rest. The spacing supportsmay be made of any suitable material, Portland cement concrete, mixedwith ashes or other filler, being admirably suited, and may be of anysuitable form or configuration to support the conduits While they arebeing installed. The supports in the present instance are made i-n theform of elongated blocks, each having formed therein at its upperportion a plurality of transverse grooves or furrows 3, 3, and at itslower portion a plurality of similar grooves or furrows 3*", 3, forengaging and receiving the conduits and supporting the same. As shown,the grooves are arcuate in cross-section, and are of diametersubstantially equal to the outside diameter of the conduits to beengaged and supported. Any other form of groove, however, as, forexample, a rectangular or triangular groove, may be employed if desired.Moreover, each support may have any number of grooves, with sufficientspacing therebetween, depending upon the number of conduits which it isdesired to lay in one tier.

The `spacing supports are preferably ,moulded in the shop, and shippedfor use where the fibrous conduits are to be installed. In order toobtain a light block for shipment, which is of sufficient strength tosupport the conduits during installation, the concrete mix utilized incasting the same preferably contains as a bulk material such lightmaterial as cinders and` ashes, and may be reinforced by metal bars orwires embedded therein. Accordingly, in casting the supporting blocks,one or a plurality of rods or wires 5, 5, preferably fastened at theirends to suitable plates or pieces of4 tin or of any other suitable sheetmetal 6, 6, may be placed in the forms or moulds employed for castingthe blocks, and the concrete or cement mixture employed in suchcasting/may be poured thereonto, thereby causing the reinforcing wiresto become embedded therein. The form may be provided withy suitable pinsor dowels so that after the pouring and setting of the blocks, holes 7,7 'may be produced therethrough on a rod therethrough for pinning orfastening to the bottom ofthe trench. The holes may be produced by anyother suitable method. as by Asuitably posltioning a hardwood pin in themould prior to the pouring of the concrete mix, and then knocking thepin out after the supporting block has set.

Assuming in the present instance that a plurality of tiers of conduitsare to be installed, the spacing supports or blocks 2 in the lower tierare positioned at suitable Iintervals along the trench, and the lowertier ofconduits 8, 8 to be installed are suitably connected as bycouplings 9, 9 to the conduits 10, 10 of a section of conduitspreviously installed, and are thus supported and spaced on the lowersupports. As shown on the drawings and previously indicated, the lowerportion of each spacing.support is provided with grooves similar tothose at its upper portions. Thus, when'a plurality of tiers of conduitsneed be laid in the same trench, as shown, the conduits 10, 10 of thelower tier serve as supports for the proper superposition and alinementof the upper supports 2a, 2a thereon. By such alinement of the upper andlower supports, they may be fastened to the ground by the commonfastening means. Any suitable number of spacing supports may be employedin the installation ofa single stage or section of conduits, but, as amatter of practice and economy, only two sets of supports are necessaryfor the installation of each tier of a section. The conduits 8, 8a ofthe upper tier are similarly connected by couplings 9, 9a to theconduits 10, 101il of the upp'er tier of the previously installedsection, and are supported and accurately spaced on the upper supports2", 2a;

After both tiers have been laid, rods or pins 13, 13, preferablyprovided with heads or enlargements 14 at their upper portions, areinserted through the holes 7, 7 of the superposed supports and driveninto the ground. The lower or butt ends of the rods are preferablypointed so that they may be driveninto the ground withv relative ease.Thus the securement of thesupports to the ground, and a secure holdingof the pipes, ismaintained while the concrete for encasing the pipes isbeing poured into the trench. Before pass' ing, it may. be stated thatalthough only one grooved portion is necessary for the lower tier ofconduits or where only one tier of con'- duits is to be laid, it ispreferable to provide two so as to have only a single standard spacingsupport for the']ob, the one standard be- -ing suitable for employmenteither for the installation of a plurality of tiers of conduits or forthe installation of only a single tier. One could employ a singlespacing support for both tiers, consisting of a block having a pluralityof circular holes therethrough, through which, the conduits to besupported ay be inserted. Such a support, however, would not beeconomical for usage with va single tier of conduits. Moreover, it isagain to be observed that the sup orts shown have arcuate grooves, sothat, wIliile'they engage able blocks or combination of blocks may beemployed. Y

To effect the installation of the conduits after their connectionandplacement with a minimum amount of encasing material, and to aord adistribution of such material immediately around the conduitswhere itismost effective and desirable, partitions 15, 15,`

extending from one end to the other end of the conduits, are positionedat the ends of the spacing supports. These partitions are made of sheetiron or any other suitable material, so as to confine the encasingmixture in the most desirable location, and are provided at their upperends with any suitable means,`

such as a plurality of rings 16, to serveas handles by means4 of whichthey'may be grasped by workmen, or lifted by hoisting mechanism, forinsertion into a trench and removal therefrom. If desired, however, theplates may be provided with holes cut therey through at their upperportions, through which hooks, to which may befastened ropes,

may be inserted for hoisting` the plates into position and. forsubsequently removing the partitions from the trench. The partitions g`the part1t1ons may be made of wood and left rest against the ends ofthe spacing supports, leaving -spaces between them and the sides l", 1bof the trench. These spaces are filled with earth, thus backing up orsupporting the partitions sovthat concrete for encasing the conduits maynow be poured into the trench.

While the conduits .may be encased or A buried in earth, if desired, inaccordance with the present invention I preferably employ a suitableconcrete mix, so as to form a permanent-br durable casing for theconduits. Such concrete, after setting, in great measure prevents accessof moisture to and into the fibrous conduits, thus aiding in theirpreservation.

For this purpose, the usual concrete mix, but comprising relatively finestones preferably not averaging over 5% of an inch in diameter (that is,stones which will pass through a 3/4-inch ring) are employed, so that adense ,Structure for en'casingr or burying the con* duits may be had.The concrete is mixed sufficiently wet, to form a mixture that willreadily iow down between the conduits and will fill up the spacesbetween the supports, in a manner' to completelyenvelop or surround theconduits. Only suiicient concrete is necessary as will properly bond theconduits together. Directly after the# pouring and while the concrete isstill soft and plastic, the rods 13, 13 arewithdrawn from place and'when the concrete is sufficiently irm the partitions arelikewisevwithdrawn.

fore the concrete has set.

The concrete may then be allowed to set,

after which the trench may be completely filled with earth, but,obviously, since concrete will harden or set underground just as well asif it were entirely open or exposed to the atmosphere, the trench may befilled beand partitions may be permitted to remain during the initialsetting of the concrete, provided they are withdrawn before they arepermanently anchored unless it is desired to leave them in `positionpermanently. It is evident that a plurality of sections of pipes' may belaid and connected,Y preparatory to their encasement, and the conduitline ma thus be first built up of indefinite length, after which asuitable concrete mixing and pouring machine may pass down the line oftrench,A andthe concrete poured thereinto. Thus, by the simple andpractical method described, any number of conduitsand tiers of suchconduits may be etticaciously, and

.economically laid. The'installation is efcient and accurate, since thespacing sup?- ports determine and ensure separation between theconduits, and their proper aline- Of course, the rods` Yeo ment.Moreover, during the pouring, the'` conduits are adequately supported,so that there is practically no tendency for the conduits to be thrownout of ali'nement.

Itis to be understood that the pins which are employed for fastening thesupports and behind in the ground'after the pouring of the concrete; butremovable instrumentalities such as described are more economical andare preferably employed. It may also be stated that the variousmaterials, as well as the form and construction of the instrumentalitiesemployed, may be changed or modi- 1; A method of installing'undergroundl conduit systems, which comprises forming a trench, locatingconduit spaclng supports 'of concrete at intervals along said trench,fastening said supports to the. bottom of said trench by rods insertedthrough holes in said supports and driven into the ground, connectingthe conduits to be installed with other conduits previously laid andresting the conduits on saidsupports, positioning removable partitionsagainst theends of such supports, filling the space outside thepartitions with loose filling material, and covering the conduits insaid space between the partitions and supports with concrete, removingthe lixing rods and partitions, and -lling `the remainder of the trenchwith loose filling material.

2. A method of installing underground conduit systems, which comprisesforming a trench, locating conduit spacing supports at intervals alongsaid trench, connecting the conduits to be installed with other conduitspreviously laid and resting the conduits on said supports, positioningremovable partitions against the ends of such supports, filling thespace outside the partitions with earth, encasing the conduits in saidspace between the partitions and supports with concrete,

and removing the removable partitions.

3. A method of installing underground conduit systems, which comprisesconnecting a plurality of conduits arranged in tiers with other conduitspreviously laid, supporting the conduits on supports adapted to engagethe conduits and maintain them in spaced relationship, temporailyfastening said supports to the bottom of said trench by -removableasteners, positioning removable partitions against the ends of suchsupports, filling the space outside said partitions with loose material,encasing space between the partitions and supports with concrete,removing the fasteners and removable partitions,and filling the trench.

4. The method of installing underground conduit systems which comprisesforming a trench, locating conduit supporting blocks 'at intervals alongsaid trench, placing conduits on said supports, placing anothe'r tier ofsupports upon. the laid conduits, fastening all said supports and theconduits engaged thereby to the bottom of the trench, positioningpartitions against the end of said supports, filling the space outside'of the partitions with earth to back up said partitions, encasing theconduits between said partitions in concrete, and filling the remainderof the trench with earth.

5. A method of installing underground concrete systems, which comprisesforming a trench, laying a tier of transverse concrete spacer members atintervals on the bottom of the trench, laying lines ofconduitlongitudinally in the .trench upon said spacers, laying a secondtier of concrete -spacers upon said conduits so that the second tier isspaced from the first tier, laying more conduits on the second tier,pinning the tiers of spacers to the ground, and pouringconcrete aroundand between all said conduits and around and between all said spacers.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

EDMUND BURKE.

the conduits in saidv

